They're done. Can't finish. Maybe next year.
I'm not ready to give up on this team yet, nor should you.
Butler, Crowder and DJO are very, very good high D-1 players. Buycks is a good player. Cadougan gets better every day. They have some nice complementary pieces off the bench, though we're still trying to figure out how to combine those pieces into something cohesive.
If this team can figure out a way to play better defense, they can still turn this season around, make the tournament and win a game, maybe 2.
With Syracuse and Nova coming up, it may get darker, but there is still time. I thought they were done last year after DePaul, but they turned it around.
I'll second what CT said. They're not a bad team (hence, no bad losses), however they do have deficiencies that get exploited against good teams. Still time for everything to come together - and given the past two years, Buzz usually has the guys playing the best at the end of the year
Quote from: 4everwarriors on January 26, 2011, 06:23:51 AM
They're done. Can't finish. Maybe next year.
OK. We'll see you at Midnight Madness. Enjoy your time off.
I'll agree with the others as well. I'm not there yet, but I am getting close. Still, I look at the remaining 10 games, and I think I see a lot of wins. Syracuse? I just don't know, but that is a big game if they can win it.
As I have said before, somebody has to step up and be the man. Butler did it for a stretch last night and then vanished. Crowder seemed to be taking that role, but he obviously had a tough game last night. Ditto for DJO. Buycks tries to take on that role, but he's one guy I'd prefer that he didn't as he consistently tries to do too much. If we can find a guy or two who are able to step up and take over (at both ends) when things get tough, I think this season can still be salvaged. If not, more of the same. I'm looking at you Jimmy Butler.
Also, I know it won't happen, but if they do drop a handful of games in the next couple weeks, I really hope we get to see much more of Jones, Blue, and Gardner, and much less of Buycks and Fulce.
Bids to the big dance are not given out in January, let's just keep that in mind. ;)
Quote from: CTWarrior on January 26, 2011, 07:05:18 AM
I'm not ready to give up on this team yet, nor should you.
Butler, Crowder and DJO are very, very good high D-1 players. Buycks is a good player. Cadougan gets better every day. They have some nice complementary pieces off the bench, though we're still trying to figure out how to combine those pieces into something cohesive.
If this team can figure out a way to play better defense, they can still turn this season around, make the tournament and win a game, maybe 2.
With Syracuse and Nova coming up, it may get darker, but there is still time. I thought they were done last year after DePaul, but they turned it around.
I agree 100% with everything you said here. With one huge caveat. Only on the offensive end of the floor. This team plays putrid half court defense for long stetches every game. Far too many easy lay-ups and dunks are given up to win at this level.
ND was toast last year, and figured it out at the end.
I'll put it this way... do I think they'll make the tournament? Right now, no.
But it's too early to completely rule it out.
It may be dire, but no matter what happens in the regular season, we can still win the Big East tournament and get to the NCAA. Stranger things have happened and we are not that bad.
Quote from: mupanther on January 26, 2011, 08:00:17 AM
Bids to the big dance are not given out in January, let's just keep that in mind. ;)
Heck, in Week 14 the Green Bay Packers lost to the friggin' Lions to fall to 8-5, with a trip to New England looming next. I'm guessing the "stick a fork in 'em" comments were flying around pretty freely. They ended up losing that game in New England as well to go to 8-6. They've been pretty good since, wouldn't you say?
Well .. I'll go out on a limb here .. MU is about an RPI 60 team. Abandon all hope of beating teams below 40 or so.
So .. we have 4 predictable losses ahead. 4 predictable wins. That puts us at 8-8.
Cincy and St. Johns are the only two that could go either way .. and thankfully, both are at home and totally winnable. That's 10-8.
Finally .. here's one more guess: MU will win one game they should NOT win. We thrown so many darts at the board, eventually one has to hit the bullseye and surprise everyone. (Of course, we should also lose a game we shouldn't, too.)
Game - eRPI
Villanova 11.4
Connecticut 11.6
Georgetown 13.1
Syracuse 14
Cincinnati 38.7
St. John's 46.9
--------- MENDOZA LINE
Providence 120.3
Seton Hall 127.2
Seton Hall 127.2
South Florida 153.8
Quote from: 4everwarriors on January 26, 2011, 06:23:51 AM
They're done. Can't finish. Maybe next year.
4, will you follow your advice and not post here until next mid-night madness?
I don't think they're done, and I don't think thus kiss would have us out if the Big Dance either. The back half of our schedule is much easier. If we can win one of Syracuse, Villanova, G'Town, or UConn, we should still get to 10-8. Even without those we can get there if we avoid the bad loss. And while that might not be enough most years due to our lack of quality non-con and road wins, this year's soft bubble may let us in anyway.
Whether we do anything with that bid is an entirely different story. But I'm not ready to give up yet.
I swear to God, we are still shell-shocked from Louisville. It may last awhile, too.
Quote from: PuertoRicanNightmare on January 26, 2011, 08:49:28 AM
I swear to God, we are still shell-shocked from Louisville. It may last awhile, too.
I can see that, more so at the end of games. Subconsciously, they start playing not to lose.
My gosh, 4, we lost to the #5 ranked team in the country. You would think that we just got beat by 30 by Depaul. Let's have a little perspective here. Are we a great team? No, we are not. Are we a good team, I think we are, since we have been in every game we have played this year. Will we make the NCAA tourney this year? I hope so. I am at least willing to wait until they play the rest of their games.
It might be worth noting that at this point a year ago, Marquette stood at 11-8 overall, 2-5 in conference, and was coming off a home road loss to the #5 team in the country (Syracuse).
The game before, MU had lost to DePaul in a game that was described by some of the more hysterical fans as the worst loss in MU history and the team's ticket to the NIT.
Suffice to say, "sticking a fork in 'em" was one of the nicer things being said about the team.
I'm no less disappointed than most around here in way the team has lost some of these games, but unlike some I'm not ready to give up on them just yet. The good news is this team has what it takesd to play with some of the best teams in country. The bad news is they haven't figured out how to close out those games. Will they? I don't know. But I'm going to do my best to enjoy the ride. Too bad 4ever and few others can't.
Quote from: Pakuni on January 26, 2011, 09:32:52 AM
It might be worth noting that at this point a year ago, Marquette stood at 11-8 overall, 2-5 in conference, and was coming off a home loss to the #5 team in the country (Syracuse).
That game was at 'Cuse, not at home.
Quote from: Rubie Q on January 26, 2011, 09:37:22 AM
That game was at 'Cuse, not at home.
I stand corrected.
Quote from: Pakuni on January 26, 2011, 09:32:52 AM
It might be worth noting that at this point a year ago, Marquette stood at 11-8 overall, 2-5 in conference, and was coming off a home loss to the #5 team in the country (Syracuse).
Great prospective!
How many of the sky is falling posters forgot this factoid and forgot how much worse the team bashing was 365 days ago. I remember how everyone was saying that Acker and Cubbie were not BE players. Nomorebucks was born in this period questioning why he even had a schollie (much like Warriors1965 is doing with Vander).
Then this 2 and 5 team that everyone wrote off (along with Buzz) won 9 of the next 10 BE games (including three straight OT win on the road in 8 days, an NCAA record).
So, do we have any examples of a team like MU this year that can turn it around? Yes, MU last year!
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on January 26, 2011, 08:37:05 AM
4, will you follow your advice and not post here until next mid-night madness?
Orwell, where did I say I wouldn't post. But, this fanbase is either delusional or not watching the same games as I.
4
I've seen enough college basketball games to know a team that is never out of it can turn things around at any moment. See about two posts above regarding last year.
The HOPE is they can.
It's the coach who is losing the games. Buzz is taking away our offensive and defensive momentum. He's breaking both up. Why would he take our DJO and Crowder and Buycks? Why play Blue and Cadugan together for such a long stretch during crunch time in the second half? Buzz is sabotaging the team! It is hard to watch and hard to understand his poor coaching this year. At the end of the game he looked as though he was in a funk.
Quote from: radome on January 26, 2011, 08:20:29 AM
It may be dire, but no matter what happens in the regular season, we can still win the Big East tournament and get to the NCAA. Stranger things have happened and we are not that bad.
now that is funny. We have almost no shot at wininng the BE tourney.
Quote from: msbjim on January 26, 2011, 10:12:04 AM
It's the coach who is losing the games. Buzz is taking away our offensive and defensive momentum. He's breaking both up. Why would he take our DJO and Crowder and Buycks?
Buycks played 32 minutes, DJO played 33 minutes, and Jae played 37 minutes last night. Substitutions weren't the issue, I don't think.
Quote from: Rubie Q on January 26, 2011, 10:21:38 AM
Buycks played 32 minutes, DJO played 33 minutes, and Jae played 37 minutes last night. Substitutions weren't the issue, I don't think.
+1 Junior and Blue were on the floor when we made the run early in the second half. Had no problem scoring with them on the floor.
Quote from: 79Warrior on January 26, 2011, 10:19:33 AM
now that is funny. We have almost no shot at wininng the BE tourney.
Unfortunately, I was thinking the same thing. I think we can be up on any team in the BE in the second half. But no way we close out 4-5 games to win the BE tourney they way we're playing.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on January 26, 2011, 10:25:20 AM
+1 Junior and Blue were on the floor when we made the run early in the second half. Had no problem scoring with them on the floor.
Cadougan actually keyed that run with his defense, getting a few steals that allowed us to beat UConn down the floor. I think a fairer statement is that the half-court offense suffers with the both of them in there. The other thing was the Butler was effective in the low post during that good stretch. Once UConn made a concerted effort to take that away, then the two of them on the floor was a liability.